Banned Ozone-Depleting Chemical Was Used Illegally in China

A hazardous, ozone-depleting compound is still being used in China, even though it is banned worldwide by the Montreal Protocol, a new study finds. Eastern China has emitted significant amounts of this substance — known as carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) — which is known to eat away at the ozone, a protective layer in Earth's atmosphere that shields the world from dangerous ultraviolet radiation. The new research is yet another piece of evidence pointing toward China as the source of the ozone-destroying emissions. This past summer, an investigation by The New York Times also found that factories in the country were releasing banned substances that destroyed the ozone layer. Read more...